Building on the Foundation

  In this physical realm, death is part of life. As we go through life, we will all lose loved ones. Every flesh-and-blood human being we have ever known or met will one day perish. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). God didn’t design these physical bodies to endure forever, and this world around us is only temporary. And that includes death. Death , too, is only temporary. One day, death itself will pass away and be no more. Of course, it’s natural and healthy to mourn the loss of a loved one. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept over her (Gen. 23:2). Joseph, his brothers, and even the Egyptians mourned and wept for Jacob (Gen. 50:1-14). Joshua and the children of Israel mourned and wept for Moses (Deut. 34:8). And so on. Throughout Scripture, there are many examples of mourning and weeping at the loss of a loved one. Yet it’s also important to remember that, for the righteous, death is simply a prelude to something far better. Near the ...

  Can you imagine a world with no war and no crime? No murder, no stealing, and no kidnapping? No drugs or drunkenness? No cancer, no heart disease, no Alzheimer’s? Imagine a world with no adultery, no domestic violence, and no broken homes. Imagine a world with no lying, thieving politicians and no crooked cops or judges. Imagine a world “in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13). Well, I’ve got good news: this world exists, and we will all one day see it! Not everyone will ultimately live in it — more on that later — but everyone will have a chance. This wonderful world, of course, is the Kingdom of God. This is the heart of the gospel. When Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh, we read that He “came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). This was the purpose of His ministry: “But He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to th...

  Have you ever wondered what will become of the billions who lived and died without ever hearing the name of Jesus or seeing a Bible? The miscarried and the stillborn? The young children who died of smallpox, starvation, or abuse? Eskimos, Chinese, Pacific islanders, Australian aborigines, Africans, and South American tribes who lived and died long before anyone could tell them about Jesus? Only those who believe in and accept Jesus Christ can be saved. No exceptions. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). No one of any other belief can enter into God’s Kingdom. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). So how could old-time Pacific islanders accept Jesus Christ when they’d never heard of Him? How could the s...